Hello!  Today I’m going to share with you my Top 5 Must Have Tools from Stampin’ Up! – these are my favorite tools I use most every time I do any sort of paper crafting!

1.  Tabletop Paper Cutter (106959; $45.95) – I LOVE this paper cutter!  After crafting for 15 years, I’ve constantly been on the search for the best paper cutter, tiring of the rough edges, not being able to get a straight cut, and blades slipping out of the track.  My favorite things about this cutter:
– self-sharpening (you never have to buy another blade again)
– guillotine style (no problems with a crooked track or blades slipping out of it)
– handle and extended ruler that store underneath it for easy transport
– extended arm with ruler up to 12″
– ruler on base up to 6″ (need extender arm less often than with other cutters)
– cuts the tiniest slivers off of paper easily and accurately
– every cut perfect EVERY TIME (Tip: hold down the clear part to keep your paper still while cutting)
I know it is probably pricier than most paper trimmers you might have bought in the past, but I’m sure I have easily spent over $200 on other trimmers and replacement blades over the past 10 years or so, so it is totally worth it!  Also consider that you don’t have to spend money on replacement blades EVER!  I’ve sold several of these and each person has given me amazing reviews of their experience with theirs as well!  I even convinced my upline that after years without this trimmer, she had to have it and guess what?  She LOVES it!!!  (Probably not quite as much as I love mine!) 

2.  Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine (113430; $99.95) – Again, as a lifelong paper crafter, I’ve come in contact with many different die-cutting machines, so the following are reasons why I like the Big Shot the best!  Probably my favorite reason is that it cuts through over 50 materials, including thick chipboard, tin, corkboard, balsa wood, fabric, vinyl, fun foam, and paper of course!  Also, the Big Shot does not require electricity so it is easy to transport to crops or a friend’s home when you want to create on the go.  One of my favorite things to do with it is to emboss card stock (you can also emboss other materials as well)!  There are several types of dies, plates, or folders that all produce different results!  I can’t imagine creating without it!

3.  Simply Scored Scoring Tool (122334; $29.95) – I use this on every card I make to create the simple clean fold, but this scoring board is also great to create envelopes, custom gift boxes, and so much more.  It has scoring grooves ever 1/8″, comes with 3 markers that you can use at the top of the board to mark where you want scoring lines on any project, a stylus with its own place so it doesn’t get lost, and a handy storage compartment at the top of the board for the markers or other items.  Also, Stampin’ Up! is coming out with a new diagonal scoring plate that will fit on top of it (March 1st!) so this line is one that keeps growing so possibilities with this tool are endless!

4.  Mat Pack (105826; $9.95) – My first Stampin’ Up! purchase!!!  It comes with 3 pieces that are about 4″ x 4″ all for use for paper-piercing.  One is a self-healing mat (so you don’t poke holes in your table), a foam piece (allows you to make deeper piercings into your paper), and my favorite part, the paper-piercing template.  The template will help you make decorative piercings evenly spaced, faux stitching, piercing for real stitching, and evenly spaced brads too!

5.  Punches – I know this may seem like I am cheating as Stampin’ Up! carries over 50 punches, but this is one of my most used tools for sure!!!  My favorites are the Decorative Label Punch (120907; $16.95), Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch (119275; $15.95), and 3/16″ Corner Rounder Punch (119871; $6.95) – although even that was hard to choose.  I often use the Word Window Punch (119857; $15.95) to punch out smaller sentiments (especially from Teeny Tiny Wishes) and layer them onto the Modern Label Punch (119849; $16.95).  Stampin’ Up! has such a wide variety of punches and I love to use them to make quick and simple impacts on my cards, scrapbook pages, and 3D items!  Several of them also coordinate with our stamps, which makes creating even easier and faster!

I apologize for my ramblings – but these products are ones I feel very strongly about!!!  Stampin’ Up! really sells some great items so narrowing it down was really tough but maybe I’ll do a #6-#10 favorites some other time!  Let me know if you have any questions about these or other products in our lineup.  Comment below with what some of your favorite Stampin’ Up! tools are!!!